The pirates of the Arctic

Oct 19 2013

Chris Fleming

RIR

Click to enlarge the infographics. Drawing by Sergei Yolkin

It may not have been Greenpeace’s intent, but there is ample precedent to suggest that the arrest of unarmed protestors who have galvanised the public’s attention rarely works in the interests of the arresting powers.

On Sept.
18, Greenpeace activists in the Pechora Sea approached the offshore Arctic oil
platform, the Prirazlomnaya. Two activists then attempted to scale the rig. Alerted, the Russian coast guard
rammed the rafts that surrounded the Greenpeace vessel, the Arctic Sunrise,
firing warning shots over the boat and shooting the activists with water
cannons.

The following day, the coast guard returned by
helicopter, boarded the Greenpeace ship, detained the remaining 28
activists and towed the boat to Murmansk. By Oct. 3, all of the crew had
been charged with piracy.

Much of the
international discussion about the incident so far has revolved around legal
issues. Much of it has focused on interpretations of the U.N. Convention
on the Law of the Sea — about the applicability of the charge of piracy and of
the legality (or otherwise) of the Russian coast guard’s boarding and seizure
of the Greenpeace vessel. Many, obviously, have contested the validity of
the piracy charges.

Whatever
their legal or moral status, these actions are not without precedent. In
February, a U.S. Court of Appeal upheld a conviction of piracy against
anti-whaling activists, although it must be said the tactics of these activists
were substantially different from that employed by those on the Arctic Sunrise.

And there have been more heavy-handed defenses against environmentalist
activism, including the sinking of Greenpeace’s Rainbow Warrior by the French
intelligence agency in 1985.

But if there has been disagreement about the legal or ethical facts here —
or their interpretation — there should be less debate about the incident
in terms of public perception. The sight of unarmed activists held at gunpoint
and then charged with an offense that carries a possible 15-year prison
sentence, might have the effect of drawing attention to what many believe to be
an issue of crucial public concern.

Outside Russia, there has been an
uncharacteristic outpouring of support for the activists, with protests being
held in 45 countries. Even Russian President Vladimir Putin said of the
protesters that it was “completely obvious that they are not pirates.”

It may not
have been the intent of the Greenpeace activist, but there is ample precedent
to suggest that the arrest of unarmed civil disobedients who have galvanized
the public’s attention rarely works in the interests of the arresting powers.
Whether that turns out to be the case here remains uncertain.

Chris Fleming is a senior lecturer in Humanities and Communication Arts at the
University of Western Sydney.